Traditional implements for secure passage such as keys and pass cards offer comparatively low levels of security because they are vulnerable to theft, loss, replication, etc., must always be carried, and sometimes involve having to memorize security numbers. To overcome these drawbacks and offer improvements in security and convenience, much research is underway on personal identification technologies.
One such technology gradually being implemented is bio scan systems that identify each individual person by extracting their uniquely inherent bio data (in fingerprints, face, iris, cornea, hand features, backhand veins, voice, and so forth). Among ways of extracting identifying data by using a camera to capture a biological subject, iris scanning is an individual identification system in wide use today.
An iris scanning apparatus scans the iris of a person entering a facility to determine the identity of that person. Iris scanning systems are being heralded as a promising new security system due to the fact that it is impossible to make reproductions or forgeries of irises. Iris scanning systems are installed on doors, in walls, or separately and are used to determine the identities of entrants.
A specific type of iris scanning apparatus that has been proposed is one that is used to identify third party subjects. An iris scanning apparatus for identifying a subject is one that is used by a user to identify a person other than him/herself—that is, an iris scanning apparatus is used to scan a subject's iris when that person's identity must be determined. The user ensures that the iris scanning apparatus is facing the subject's face, and directly controls the system so that an image collector of the iris scanning apparatus, a camera or image sensor for example, captures the subject's face. In order to use the iris scanning apparatus to scan the subject's iris, the subject's eye must be within the iris scanning range of the iris scanning apparatus.
Related art iris scanning apparatuses for scanning a subject employ a narrow angle image collector that uses a lens with a narrow field of view to capture and furnish a narrow angle image to the user. In order to scan or register the iris of a subject, a user must locate the subject's eye region while observing a captured narrow angle image. During this process, the user cannot observe only the image display, but must look back and forth at the subject's face as well, which is inconvenient.